# Bobby Taylor (American football)

Robert Taylor III (born December 28, 1973) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, earning consensus All-American honors. A second-round draft pick, he played professionally for the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks of the NFL.

## Early life

Taylor was born in Houston, Texas. He attended Longview High School in Longview, Texas, and played high school football for the Longview Lobos and was also a member of the Lobos' Texas Class 5A state basketball championship team. In addition to playing for the Lobos 1992 Basketball State Championship Team; Taylor was a three-year starter for the Lobos in football he ran a leg on the state champion 1,600-meter relay squad. He was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame's 2012 class. Taylor was a two-time Class 5A all-state pick for football, and named to the first-team defense on the UIL all-century team in 2009. These accolades earned him as the first player in Longview Lobo history to have his jersey, No. 24, retired.

## College career

Taylor attended the University of Notre Dame, where he played for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team from 1992 to 1994. As a Junior in 1994, was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American.

## Professional career

Taylor was selected in the second round of the 1995 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He played for the Eagles from 1995 until 2003. He was selected for one Pro Bowl during his time as an Eagle, following the 2002 season in which he had five interceptions and a touchdown return. He was also a second-team All-Pro selection in 2002.
After playing nine seasons for the Eagles, Taylor played for the Seattle Seahawks in ten games during his final season in 2004. In ten NFL seasons, he appeared in 129 regular season games, started 109 of them, amassed 384 tackles and four quarterback sacks, with 19 interceptions for 224 interception return yards and two touchdowns. He also compiled 11 fumble recoveries and six forced fumbles.

### NFL statistics

| Year | Team | GP | COMB | TOTAL | AST | SACK | FF | FR | YDS | INT | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD | PD |
| 1995 | PHI | 16 | 51 | 47 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 52 | 26 | 35 | 0 | 17 |
| 1996 | PHI | 16 | 62 | 55 | 7 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | −1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| 1997 | PHI | 6 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1998 | PHI | 11 | 31 | 22 | 9 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 1999 | PHI | 15 | 47 | 40 | 7 | 0.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 59 | 15 | 28 | 1 | 17 |
| 2000 | PHI | 16 | 44 | 37 | 7 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 64 | 21 | 38 | 0 | 18 |
| 2001 | PHI | 16 | 37 | 34 | 3 | 1.0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 17 |
| 2002 | PHI | 16 | 57 | 46 | 11 | 0.0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 43 | 9 | 23 | 1 | 15 |
| 2003 | PHI | 7 | 19 | 18 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 2004 | SEA | 10 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Career | | 128 | 378 | 323 | 55 | 4.0 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 19 | 224 | 12 | 38 | 2 | 128 |
Key
* GP: games played
* COMB: combined tackles
* TOTAL: total tackles
* AST: assisted tackles
* SACK: sacks
* FF: forced fumbles
* FR: fumble recoveries
* FR YDS: fumble return yards
* INT: interceptions
* IR YDS: interception return yards
* AVG IR: average interception return
* LNG: longest interception return
* TD: interceptions returned for touchdown
* PD: passes defensed

## Personal

Taylor's father, Robert Taylor, won a gold medal and a silver medal in the 1972 Summer Olympics while attending Texas Southern University in Houston.
Taylor appeared on an episode of MTV Cribs.
Bobby is married to Michelle Melecio Taylor, and has three sons.